1.31
Gender specific and gender neutral language.

(1)
Language is "gender
neutral" if it does not expressly or implicitly refer to one sex to the real or
apparent exclusion of the other and expressly or implicitly refers to both
sexes without distinguishing between them.

(2)
Language is "gender specific" if it
expressly or implicitly refers to one sex to the real or apparent exclusion of
the other or expressly or implicitly refers to both sexes and distinguishes
between them.

(1)
Except as otherwise provided in division
(B)(2) of this section, in enacting an act that replaces gender specific
language with gender neutral language, it is the intent of the general assembly
not to make substantive changes in the statutory law in effect on the date of
that enactment by the replacement of the gender specific language with the
gender neutral language. The gender neutral language shall be construed as a
restatement of, and substituted in a continuing way for, the corresponding
statutory gender specific language existing on the date of enactment.

(2)
In enacting an act with the
stated purpose of making a substantive change in a statute by replacing gender
specific language with gender neutral language, the rule of construction in
division (B)(1) of this section does not apply.

(C)
The rule of construction in division (B) of
section
1.43 of the
Revised Code declares that words of one gender include the other genders. The
rules of construction contained in divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section do
not affect this rule of construction with respect to statutes that contain
gender specific language.